Former Rangers forward, Thomas Buffel, has urged fans to be patient with Ianis Hagi and to persevere with the 21-year old despite his difficult start the season that has seen him struggle to look his creative best.
Speaking to The Daily Record, Buffel feels that the player’s lack of experience should explain his consistency and that the Ibrox outfit are yet to see the best of the Romanian international.
So what has Buffel said?
When asked to analyse the £3million summer acquisition from Genk‘s early season form, he said:
“You have to remember he’s still only 21 and not every player is ready at 21 and some players develop faster than others.
“If you want someone who is ready then maybe it’s better to buy a player at, say, 24. But I also understand when a club pays £3m for a player then they want him to be ready.
“The ideal scenario is to buy three or four players at £3m with the younger ones given time to develop but if you spend that kind of money one position then that person has to do well.
“It’s not Hagi’s fault, that’s just the situation he is in and he has to deal with that. But it’s not fair to put the pressure on one man. Everyone has to look in the mirror and say, ‘Can I do more?’. You have to look around Hagi as well. Who is going to complement him?”
So is Buffel correct?
He is correct on both points in that at 21, Hagi is far from the finished article, however, given the money spent, Steven Gerrard has every right to expect more from a player specifically tasked with find a way to break down stubborn defences.
Will Hagi come good?
Yes
No
Buffel’s most valid opinion is that shouldn’t just be “on one man” to produce the goods and against Livingston, Hagi was let down by those around him, the midfield in not giving him the ball quick enough and Alfredo Morelos in not linking play or holding the ball up long enough – it is by, it’s very nature, a team game.
Gerrard’s number seven has a long way to go before his transfer fee is paid off, however, he has still been involved in the build up to some of Rangers best moments this season and has shown that when teammates move the ball quickly into him that he can provide the spark required to break teams down – he may be struggling for fluidity at them moment but his time will come, he is too talented for it not to.